Adopted last year, the portal allows other schools to contact players who are considering transferring.

Entering the portal does not close the door on returning to a player’s original school, but an NCAA news release notes the original school has the option of reducing or canceling the player’s financial aid and is not obligated to take the player back.

Tom Mars, an attorney representing Fields, told Cox Media Group Ohio “this is crunch time’ in the process” of trying to obtain a waiver for the rule that forces transfers to spend a year in residence before taking the field at their new school.

Martell’s apparent decision to at least explore his options comes less than two weeks after he told reporters at the Rose Bowl he would be the starter this fall if Haskins decided to turn pro.

He also downplayed the potential impact of the arrival of Fields, who at that time was still officially a member of the Georgia football team but had been the subject of rumors he was considering a move north.

“Why would I leave for someone who hasn’t put a single second into this program yet?” Martell said in California. “I’ve put two years of working my ass off for something that I’ve been waiting for and dreaming of having my whole life.”